This was definintely helpful. Good to know about photoproject. I'm getting their Kodak equivalent of Hc 110. Hopefully this meet satisfaction. thx
This was definintely helpful. Good to know about photoproject. I'm getting their Kodak equivalent of Hc 110. Hopefully this meet satisfaction. thx
"What has been telling with the paradigm shift from analog to digital, it isn't just cameras and films that have disappeared. It's also the infrastructure."
I love analog. I have been mixing my own chemicals for years but has Neil Poulsen pointed out the analog world is slowly crumbly down. A lot of the people keeping analog going are guys who are now in the 60's to late 70's. How much longer will ArtCraft be around? How about the guys repairing the shutters and cameras? Only Leica is making analog (roll) cameras and how many people can afford that? Hope I'm wrong but the future doesn't look good.
On the other hand I’ve seen many been worrying about the future of film photography for over 20 years now and we’re still here using film…. And with new LF camera manufacturers popping up, new film stocks and some come backs… and sure, some losses along the way (Fuji film anyone?), but overall I think nothing is crumbling so fast that it threatens the disappearance of film photography for quite some time….. I am hopeful!Originally Posted by Michael Wellman
Kodak's original HC-110 had a glycol base and would last pretty much indefinitely undiluted in the bottle. The new "HC-110" has a water base and will hydrolyze (break down in water) over time, going bad even if stored undiluted in the bottle.
Whether the new version is otherwise similar to the old, or if a new company just bought the naming rights, is unclear, as HC-110's formula is a proprietary secret.
"I love my Verito lens, but I always have to sharpen everything in Photoshop..."
Nowadays it's easy for any serious R&D lab to precisely analyze the ingredients of just about any proprietary solution if the have the financial motive to do so. That was already done with HC-110 quite awhile back; and at least one person with access to a serious lab batch-formulated a precise equivalent for personal use. But that doesn't mean he can turn around and market it as HC-110 if he wanted to, or that the same kind of reformulation can be done in a simple darkroom, especially safely. And some of its ingredients themselves are hard to get, and require special formulation. So that leaves us with the question, in what specific manners does Col. Sander's new extra crispy fried chicken differ from the original recipe? Concentrate storage life seems to be one of them.
I am late to this thread but ...
1. It appears that Kodak is exiting the chemistry business entirely.
2. They've had quality problems for several years now so I'd avoid any "new' anything in this regard
3. Most of the Kodak chemistry can easily be made yourself or replaced with other products. Dektol can be mixed as D-72. Fixer is better replaced with Ilford Hypam. Hypoclear is better replaced with Permawash. There are a variety of alternatives to Photoflo. The only things I have not found equivalents for are Kodak Rapid Selenium Toner (which you do NOT want to try and make yourself) and HC-110.
If you like HC-110 (and that's almost all I used to use), you will LOVE Pyrocat-HD. Available pre-mixed from Photographer's Formulary or easily made yourself. You just want to be careful as you would with any pyro developer - wear nitrile glove, eye protection and a darkroom apron (which you ought to be doing anywayBTW unconfirmed rumor has it that HC-110 had pyrocatechin in it which is what Pyrocat-HD is based on.
Used properly, Pyrocat-HD will give you somewhat better effective film speed than HC-110, much less visible grain, and very good highlight management.
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If Kodak chemistry does indeed disappear we should be clear it is not "Kodak" exiting the business - that happened a long time ago from a manufacturing perspective, and in 2020 from a marketing/distribution perspective when the chemistry business was acquired by Chinese company Sino Promise.
In reference to selenium toner both the Ilford and Moersch products operate identically to KRST. There's no magic going on there. Sodium sulfite, sodium selenite, ammonium thiosulfate.
HC-110 did and still does (at least as of 2019) contain a small amount of catechol. Nobody knows exactly why it is there. There could be a few reasons but it isn't known with certainty which is correct.
Tundra, HC-110 is kinda unique in the way it will consistently operate even at extreme dilution, for sake of very low gamma when needed. I have certain lab applications which call for that. I can't think of any pyro formula which will do the same thing. Besides, most pyros stain the image - an advantage in some cases, a disadvantage in certain others. But I'm not going to make a lot of fuss trying to find an ideal HC-110 replacement. What I already have on hand of the original syrup will last me quite awhile longer.
Wetting agent? It took me nearly 20 years to use up a little bottle of Photoflo. It will probably take another 20 to use my current bottle of Ilfosol. I might not last that long myself. Only a few drops are needed at a time. I never use wash additives. No need. I use TF4 and TF5 archival fixer instead. It takes me a long time to use up a bottle of Selenium Toner too. But Moersch products seem way overpriced. They probably just rebottle things actually made by someone else.
Ok...another good thing to know. I will try pyrocat-HD. I like that sharp look that comes with developers like HC-110, so I'm sure this is quite good too. I never really thought of making my own developers or fixers and toners. I'm not sure if you get the same quality as when you purchase it directly. I might try it though, and it looks cost effective. thxI am late to this thread but ...
1. It appears that Kodak is exiting the chemistry business entirely.
2. They've had quality problems for several years now so I'd avoid any "new' anything in this regard
3. Most of the Kodak chemistry can easily be made yourself or replaced with other products. Dektol can be mixed as D-72. Fixer is better replaced with Ilford Hypam. Hypoclear is better replaced with Permawash. There are a variety of alternatives to Photoflo. The only things I have not found equivalents for are Kodak Rapid Selenium Toner (which you do NOT want to try and make yourself) and HC-110.
If you like HC-110 (and that's almost all I used to use), you will LOVE Pyrocat-HD. Available pre-mixed from Photographer's Formulary or easily made yourself. You just want to be careful as you would with any pyro developer - wear nitrile glove, eye protection and a darkroom apron (which you ought to be doing anyway
Used properly, Pyrocat-HD will give you somewhat better effective film speed than HC-110, much less visible grain, and very good highlight management.
First, though I have had my issues of late with Sino Promise, I don't think it fair to claim they/it have abandoned the chemical business unless somebody actually knows this is the case. I haven't seen what looks like even reliable second-hand information on that.
Second, getting to the original point of the thread, HC-110 is in stock at Freestyle as of this afternoon. It is the new, thinner stuff. It works out to about $1.40 per quart of Dilution "B," so prices have gone up. But if you have a coveted supply of the old stuff, which does indeed seem to last about forever in a fridge, you could use up the new stuff for now and if it becomes unavailable you still have your old stock.
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